Gator Carry On Bag
$125.00

In Stock

In stock orders ship same day if received by 4:00 PM Mountain Standard Time!

Behold! The Gator.

A compact carry-on bag with a big appetite.

You can read up on how others have used this multi-purpose carry-on bag, but we're sure you'll think up something new. Just like its hungry animal namesake, this tough-skinned beauty will swallow up everything you need for travel. Ideal as an compact airline carry-on and easily classified as a personal item, a shooting bag for the range, SLR camera bag, diaper bag in disguise, C-pap bag, or take it to work with a packed lunch; you get the picture.

WHAT ABOUT POCKETS?
Secure your delicate equipment in the Gator's rigid-formed, shock-resistant padded main compartment. No need to carry separate hydration, the Gator features dual elastic beverage end pockets that will hold small to medium water bottles (taller ones tend to not be as secure and may fall out!). The expandable gusseted side pockets help you to keep track of your gadgets like cell phones, iPods, sunglasses, and more.

These side pockets feature the exclusive ROFLS -- "Red Oxx Finger Loop Snap" closures which utilize our Mil-Spec stainless steel snaps and thoughtfully designed thumb loops that make closing these handy pockets a "snap." ROFLS allows one-handed snapping closure. Simply slip a finger into the loop under the snap post and use your thumb to press the post in place. ROFLS is a clever solution that prevents crushing items (like your precious sunglasses) under the snaps. Behind each gusseted pocket are secret hidden flat slip pockets for that little extra bit of storage.

GET ORGANIZED.
Inside the Gator carryall bag, there's a full-length stiff mesh divider with four slots for pens and pencils and two mesh pockets. This divider is sewn down to snugly secure your iPad or Tablet when the pocket is snapped shut. Located on the back exterior is another full-length zippered pocket. Our 4lb. Volara closed cell firm foam padding envelopes the bag in the front, bottom, and back, protecting your precious contents from damage.

A COMPACT CARRY-ON BAG BUILT LIKE A TANK?
Our customers like to define our gear as "built like a tank". While obviously you're not going to be toting around personal items that weigh 50 tons and have three inches of armor plate, for what it's worth, the comparison is valid. For a personal item bag, like their namesake, Gators are built tough. Starting with one of the most durable textile materials available, 1000 weight CORDURA® nylon, we use a proprietary super strong UV resistant thread that is stitched into every seam.

BOUND AND BAGGED.
Places where two separate pieces of fabric are stitched together are then bound, that is, we take a long piece of one inch wide nylon webbing and fold it over the edges of the two pieces and stitch them together; this creates a strong seam, or binding, that prevents the pieces from unraveling on the inside of the bag, or gives it a clean finished look if on the outside of the bag, such as along the gusseted pockets on the Gator.

These types of outside edges are bound using a thicker binding material. Inside edges typically receive the thinner nylon webbing, whereas outside corner edges that are exposed to wear will have a thicker nylon binding. All of our binding material is vertically woven to prevent fraying, peeling or splitting that you may commonly see in competitors bags that brag of "binding" their edges.

WHY DOUBLE BOX STITCHING?
Each stress point, such as where the handles attach to the Gator, is double box stitched - which is where we get the "double XX" in our name, Red Oxx; a stitching practice we adapted from our service as parachute riggers.

MY, WHAT BIG ZIPPERS YOU HAVE!
The reason Red Oxx uses the largest zipper we can afford, the #10 YKK VISLON® zipper, is that they are easily repairable, even in the field; they will hold their place, that is, they "lock"; they are difficult to penetrate, thereby increasing the security of your belongings; they function smoothly in inclement weather and they can be yanked from a variety of angles without losing teeth or becoming separated. Since they're made of vinyl, they will never rust or require lubing.

PUTTING THE HARD IN HARDWARE.
Red Oxx has occasionally been accused of "overdoing" our hardware. But once you've had a cheap piece of plastic hardware break in the middle of a busy intersection, airport or other inconvenient locale dumping your precious belongings all over the ground, having a heavy-duty nickel-plated or stainless steel D ring or attachment swivel that weighs just a little more, or might be a little "jingly", is a travel companion's confidence builder and peace-of-mind maker. After all, you want to enjoy your journey as best you can. Why worry about having your Gator break down?

A HANDY MULTI-PURPOSE BAG.
The famous fully adjustable Claw Shoulder Strap will not slip. Or carry it with the wraparound handle handclasp. Popular with the demanding business crowd and all the rage with the adventure travel crowd, Gator Travel Bags are durable companions for many uses: SLR camera bags, diaper bags, NetBooks or Tablets, C-pap bags, pistol range, you name it, the Gator will eat it. Consider it your "bag of all trades."

PLACE YOUR ORDER TODAY.
Place your order now to get your Gator on our production schedule. Your bag will then be shipped in under 14 working days. Like retirement, it's worth the wait.

Online orders will receive an order confirmation email, a UPS tracking information email when your order ships and a product review request follow-up email eight weeks after delivery. In addition, backorders beyond a dozen working days may receive an order follow-up assurance email. During checkout purchasers have the option to opt-out of our quarterly email newsletter. Your email address is always secure.

Gator Trivia: When Red Oxx President Perry Jones had young children he was embarassed to appear like he was carrying a diaper bag. After the kids grew out of their diapers, he wanted a decent range bag to take with him. The Gator held his pistols, magazines, ammo, ear muffs, safety glasses, gloves and targets. When Jim went to Africa, he brought along a Gator as his personal item. The name Gator was selected because a Gator is sly and stealthy and can quickly consume large prey, sometimes larger than itself, with it's enormous mouth.

I have owned this bag for just shy of two years now. I purchased this bag, a CPA, and the sun chaser for a vacation. They worked great! The Sun chaser and the CPA still are used whenever I take a trip and the Gator bag I use every week as my gun bag. Two years of hauling muffs, ammo and numerous mags, not a bit of wear! If I had any complaint about this bag, it could only be they need to manufacture a slightly bigger one so I can carry gear for more than one shooter in one rugged bag. Don't let the price tag discourage you these bags are awesome, and worth every penny!

Just returned from San Francisco

By RC Gee, Virginia, June 15, 2013

Very sturdy bag which I filled to the gills for my trip with all the essentials and extras which I wanted kept close. Also used on my day trips. Only bad thing was when I noticed my dog tag with the wire lock and my luggage tag were no longer on my D ring. I had even looped my luggage tag through my wire lock holding my luggage tag on. :( I think the wire screw got loosened.

Good, but could be improved

By Peter, San Francisco, June 4, 2013

Just back from my first trip using the Gator and I found "Patrick - Oct. 28" 's comments pretty apt.

1. The interior pocket is just a teeny bit too small to hold my MacBook Air. This would really be the preferred place, rather than loose in the bag, particularly as I use the main compartment to hold my DSLR and a telephoto lens and I have to sort of stuff the MacBook in alongside them. So, if you do any redesign, perhaps extend the width of the overall bag by an inch or two, to allow that interior pocket to be wider.

2. The exterior snap pockets seem superfluous and not particularly easy to access. I'd happily trade them for one or two open pockets that would be deeper than the zipper pocket on the other side, for easy access to travel documents, etc.

3. It's pretty dark inside the bag (mine is lined in red) for locating small loose contents in dim surroundings. I think you might build them all with yellow (saffron?) lining. My bag is yellow outside and I like the brightness of that color.

4. I'd really like a small D-ring in the inside (at the edge of the inner pocket?) to which I could attach keys.

All that said re improvements I'd like to see, the construction quality, and general design are just about right and it's the best answer to my needs I've yet found, though I'd sure jump at an "evolved" version.

Nice bag, but a bit smaller than I expected

By Keith, Honolulu, June 1, 2013

Not as heavy duty as my Victronix Standard Issue carry on bag, but much lighter as it's not made of ballistic nylon. The Claw strap is amazing; it's so nice that I don't have to make an effort to keep it from sliding off. Gave it 4 stars, but it was my fault because I knew it would't hold letter sized papers. Haven't gone on any trips with it yet, so am using in place of my day pack. Thinking of getting a few Little Roys to keep some smaller items organized.

Gator and Lil Roy, the perfect combo

By Dee, Maryland, May 30, 2013

There has been much said about the huge cargo space of the Gator, and several adjunct solutions regarding how to organize the space for those OCDers that need everything "in its place", have been offered. I am one of those OCD people.

For decades I searched (meaning I purchased and used,) many utility bags. I have learned, and live by the simple rule that the more bags you use to "organize" the more space you lose for the purpose of carrying the storage bags.

There is complex physics involved, but the simple explanation is that there is always "air" space around the parameters of one solid structure and those adjacent to it. The smaller and/or malleable the solid structure, the less lost space you incur to carry it.

It stands to reason that an object in and of itself, is the smallest structural parameter that a given object can take. So the objective of packing efficiently is to find a bag that is large enough to hold all your stuff, with as few hard dividers as possible, while giving you the "divisions" that allow you to be organized.

My first Red Oxx purchase was a Lil Roy. (It was also my second and third purchase.) It is the perfect combination of organized and malleable. It is, bar-none, the best utility bag I have ever owned.

But this a Gator review, so let me get to the point...

I travel a LOT- by air, by train, by auto and, of course, by walking. I travel for business and for pleasure. The perfect carry bag for me, in all travel modes, is the Gator. It holds my computers, power supplies, various cables and spare batteries. I use the large front pocket to store receipts, one of the long pockets to hold tickets, one elastic side pocket to carry my hand sanitizer and the other to hold water. The rest of the main cargo space holds my Lil Roy, (more on that in a minute,) a thermos® and an empty Platypus collapsible water bottle. And it fits under the seat of even the smallest commuter aircraft.

Few types of travel are trickier than the business trip. Typically we arrive at the business facility early in the morning, and are taken directly to a conference room, where we will spend the day. Amenities are different from one company to the next and it is quite often expected that you will not leave the room except for short scheduled breaks. So for me, it is important to have everything I need to get through an 8 to 12 hour day, without looking like I was prepared to be received by poor hosts.

The hardest part of any business trip is the “lunch run”. For the most part it is rude to pack up your stuff and take it with you when going to lunch. Not only does it mean you have to lug all your stuff to the lunch venue, which can be a long walk, it also implies that you don’t trust your hosts to protect your belongings while you are away. Truthfully, I don’t trust anyone with some of my belongings. Items, such as cell phone, pass-port, credit cards, and thumbdrive, I want in my possession at all times; others- small first-aid kit, hand sanitizer, tooth care, and a few cosmetics, I like to have with me.

So I created a “satellite system”. All those things that I will not be without live in my Lil Roy. The Lil Roy goes in the Gator. (They even match!) And once ensconced in the conference room, the Lil Roy goes with me, where-ever I go. (Coffee, Washroom, Lunch.)

I have an advantage here, because I am female, it is kind of expected that I will take a bag along with me when I leave. So the satellite isn’t a mind-bender. But some of my male colleagues so loved my system, that many of them use the same, they just carry their Lil Roys in a more manly “under the arm” posture rather than carrying it daintily by the straps. (The straps are still handy when the lunch venue is cafeteria style.)

The unexpected thing about the Gator/Roy combo is the number of compliments I get about the bags themselves. (Did I mention that they match?) Many like the utility value of the combo. To me, that is evident. But the true surprise is the number of women that like the “look.”

Anyway, I highly suggest the combo. Although I haven’t stopped looking for a better fit, I haven’t bought a travel bag in years.

red gator

By Lawrence, California, May 23, 2013

Great bag, can be used as small carryon or just big enough for MacBook Air 11 and accessories and also can hold file folders, albeit just barely. Great capacity and well built.

Gator Bag

By Tom H, Dallas Tx, May 2, 2013

Jim, I love the Gator as all the other products I have from RO. Beano Bag, Dopp Kit, Suit carrier, Bino cases, etc. The Gator is perfect for a computer and accys or as a traveling sundries bag, (meds, creams, shave stuff) Wife kept borrowing for cosmetics so I just ordered one for her. I use as my "small carry on" and combined with the Beano, that's usually all I need for a two week trip. Have had your bags for many years and they still look new. Thanks for a great product.

5 Stars but negative comments?

By Julian, Australia, April 28, 2013

Trying to decide which products if any should be purchased...I have to say it would be a lot easier if people were more accurate with their "star" ratings. I can't see why so many people rate 5 stars, then talk about the negatives such as the shape and height of the drink bottle pouches, the handles, the padding, the weight....Rating 5 stars then commenting negatively about aspects of a product is not as helpful as you might be.

Great Travel Bag

By Falani, TN, April 11, 2013

Used the Gator Bag on recent trip to Europe. Held all of my electronics, accessories along with a change of clothes and shoes. Fits neatly under the seat of most airlines including smaller commuter planes. Would highly recommend this bag to anyone who likes to carry on without the hassle of finding overhead space.

Perfect "2nd bag"

By B Johnson, Savannah Georgia, February 28, 2013

My wife and I are both "one bag" travellers, which means we carry the "one carry-on" and a second "personal item." She has searched for years for the perfect 2nd bag, has bought and rejected several. None were perfect. The right size, water bottle pockets, interior pockets, exterior pockets, a safe place for the Kindle, easy to get into while sitting on an airplane. After buying and using the Air Boss, I talked her into letting me get her the Gator. When it arrived, she looked it over and said, "Wow, this is it. It's perfect!" Happy seat mate, happy traveller.

Perfect for Multi-Faceted Life

By S. Lewis, Garland, TX, February 20, 2013

This was the best hundred bucks I've ever spent!

The Gator Bag has become my daily essential bag. I am a chemo patient and owner of 2 retail stores located about an hour from my home. So I'm usually on the go, in my car, at the stores, or in the chemo room for a lot of time. The Gator is THE answer to keeping my essentials organized and handy.

BG (Before Gator), these essentials were spread between my rolling lap top bag and my over-sized, over-weight, carryall purse. When I needed something, seems like I was always having to go through both bags to locate my item. AG (After Gator) I know exactly where I need to go to find the item, and often only carry the Gator and leave the laptop bag & purse at home. All I need to do is transfer my wallet and cell phone from my now light-weight and smaller purse to Gator and I'm good to go.

Like the other reviewer on 2/14/13, I find it best to use small bags to organize the large inside compartment. I use my extra cosmetic bags to keep a "chemo" bag stocked: various meds for stuff I won't mention here, cough drops, life savors, hand sanitizer, mouth spray, snacks, etc. Then I use a 2nd cosmetic bag to organize ..... cosmetics (go figure). In case I can't make it home from my stores, or choose to stay over iwth my daughter, this cosmetic bag has the stash for emergency face cleaning, teeth brushing, and my makeup application.

My Kindle Fire (with its charger) also fits nicely in the center pocket, with room to spare!

A 16 0z stainless steel water bottle fits nicely in the outside expendable pocket. My sunglasses and their case go in the other expandable pocket.

In the flat zippered outside pocket, I carry cash bills to make change at the retail stores - no more emergency runs to the bank when I drop by the stores.

Oh yeah, packed as is, even with my wallet and cell phone, the Gator weighs much less than the huge monster purse I lugged around! And the shoulder straps on the Gator keep the bag in place MUCH better than the purse straps did!

Tips for Making Best Use of Your Gatorbag

By Rich, Tampa, Florida, February 14, 2013

I've taken this mighty bag all around the city and burbs and it has performed as well as other readers have described. But even the best product can be made just a little bit better:

1. The main interior storage compartment is so large at 6" of thickness that it is easy to lose things as they pile up; removing items near the bottom can drag along a string of incidental items.

Solution: The local hardware department store carries 3-packs of colored strong canvas bags,ranging from about 3" to 8" wide with a see-through panel to view the contents. Perfect for chargers/batteries, first aid items, and other small items. It really helps organize the main compartment.

2. Beverage carriers being too short to hold even medium water bottles: Check with your local fitness or camping outlet for 6 - 10 oz flask-shaped bottle flexed at the neck. They are intended for use with a running belt but you only the refill bottle itself, about $10.

3. Hit and run theft: when you set your Gator down on the next chair or any other public place where your attention might wander, thieves will be watching you, at least in some areas of the world. Solution: A very thin security cable intended for motorcycle helmets and their bikes might be the answer. I like it with a small combination lock and attached it to the handle straps and D-ring. If a nap is unavoidable while out and about (e.g. airport), I have even wrapped the cable around my belt loop or wrist to discourage lurking hit-and-run artists.

Hope these Gator (and general) tips are useful.

Gator carry on bag

By Bob Ivers, Australia, January 31, 2013

I have been searching for the perfect carry on bag and have several. This is my second Redoxx purchase and I like the robustness and design. The Gator is new and I am mainly using it at work. I have 2 major overseas trips this year. I am happy with the Gator but I feel that the inside divider could be better designed. With pens and a phone in the pockets, the divider tends to fall into the bag. This makes it difficult to retrieve objects from the main compartment. I wonder if some sort of clip would prevent this. Overall, though, a champion bag. Regards Bob

Gator Bag

By Colt H Powell, Star, MS, January 17, 2013

Great quality bag like always. It is a lot smaller than I had in mind, but I blame that on my self, the dimensions are listed. I work on the rail road and have a rail king rucksack. It is great for travel or road jobs. I was looking for a bag that would carry lunch and my books for local or industry jobs. It's just big enough for lunch and a decent amount of snacks.

Awesome Bag

By V. Arnold, Miontana, January 11, 2013

this bag was for my son for Xmas-he had it picked out and reports it is above and beyond his expectations. Thank you for the good quality of your products.

Super Quality

By MB, Pasadena, CA, January 10, 2013

Superior quality and service. Glad I found you online. I will order again.

A1 Bag

By AOM, Halifax, December 23, 2012

Best bag ever. Everything bag for a city day hike, on a bike rack, a shoulder bag carry-on (besides the regular carry-on).

Cons: (close your eyes, RedOxx). The bag handle straps are unnecessary and really get in the way of the great top loading zippered main compartment. They also make some paranoid airline agents think it's a real "bag" besides your carry on. I cut them off and made the bag perfect. Never regretted it. Also, the bottom padding is a wee bit too thick. To be comfortable under the arm for hours, the bottom has to partially collapse (fold a bit) AND still be stiff enough to stand flat when on the ground. A hard order to fill. I just crushed my bag until the bottom naturally folded, when I wanted it to.

Oh, yes...and, you can have a leather guy put a snap along the ribboned top edge of the inside net pocket to hold it snug to the side of the bag so it doesn't lean out into the main compartment when full, or Red Oxx could do this ;-) .

Need no other shoulder bag but this. Just wonderful.

gator

By Ricky D., Boone IA, December 6, 2012

as a train conductor i carry alot of paperwork and have a filing system for myself... this bag holds all of my paperwork and is small enough that it doesnt get tossed around everything is where i put it so i find it every time, the quality is excelent and i love everything about this bag does what i need and want for this purpose.

Gator Bag

By Gary, Illinois, December 6, 2012

I purchased this bag to haul my camera gear and am very pleased with the construction and space. I can hold my DSLR camera, point and shoot comera, an extra lens, all of my supplies and will even hold my notebook computer. So far I am very pleased with this product. The Safari style also looks great.

gator bag

By Anonymous, , November 25, 2012

Great bag for carrying books and reference materials! Just the right size and the zippers appear to be quite durable.

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To the depths of the Amazon basin to the peaks of the Himilayas, Red Oxx Manufacturing is infallible.

Red Oxx Bags are guaranteed forever, be sure to include them in your will.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Will a Gator meet the airline's personal item standards?
Yes, and you can fit the bag under the seat, too.

Will my laptop fit in the middle compartment?
Most netbooks, iPads, Tablets and "mini" laptops will fit with room to spare, but probably not a full size laptop (17" plus).

Will my work files fit inside?
If you want a briefcase that will hold your files and a laptop, look into our Briefcase line, specifically the Metro and the wider CPA.

Can the Gator double as an SLR camera bag?
Yes, the Gator makes for a perfect SLR camera bag due to it's generous, yet practical size, its full wrap around padding and handy pockets.

What are the differences between the Gator and the Metro and / or CPA?
The Metro and CPA are specifically designed to be laptop business briefcases, whereas the Gator is more of a general multipurpose day bag.

Will the iPad, iPad II or most other Tablets fit inside?
Yes, the Gator makes an ideal Tablet bag. Tablets will tuck nicely into the interior flat panel pocket and are protected by the bag's padding.

Will the Gator compact carry-on fit into the Air Boss central compartment?
We don't recommend inserting the Gator into the Air Boss. The results would be too bulky.

Are there any interior pockets?
It has one flat panel pocket with pouches for smaller items and writing instruments.

Can I fit my C-pap machine inside?
The Gator is an ideal C-pap bag.

My zipper broke. The teeth have separated. Do I send it in for warranty repair?
No need for warranty repair, fix it yourself. Check out this video where CEO Jim Markel shows how easy it is to do it yourself.

Is there a way to securely lock my bag?
Sure, you can use any TSA approved bag lock or try our Cable Lock for a simple, semi-secure solution. Watch this video where CEO Jim Markel demonstrates how you can use the cable that comes with the product Dog Tag price tag to secure your bag. Keep in mind, any determined thief can still cut open a soft sided bag with a sharp knife.

Can you ship USPS?
Yes, Red Oxx will ship USPS upon request. Simply state, "Please ship USPS" in the cart comments during checkout and we will adjust your billing accordingly.